Tripod-head.



No. 630,221. Patented Aug. I, I899. G. J. W. HAYES.

TRIPOD HEAD.

(Application filed May 15, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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WITNESSES.

UNiTn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES J. \V. HAYES, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

TRIPOD-HEAD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 630,221, dated August 1, 1899.

Application filed Mayl5,1899. Serial No. 716,857. (No model.)

To all whmn it may concern.-

Beit known that I, CHARLES J. \V.'HAYEs, a citiZen of the United States, residing at Detroit, county of Wayne,- State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Tripod Heads; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to tripod-heads, and has for its object a device providing an irnproved arrangement of means for actuating the binding-screw by which the tripod-head is secured to the camera-box and other novel features, which will be hereinafter described.

Two forms of tripod-heads to which the means embodying this invention is applied are shown in the drawings. One of the tripod-heads is shown in detail in all its parts.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows inelevation an assembled tripod-head in which the screw-actuating means is shown in section. Fig. 2 shows a plan view of the same tripodhead. Fig. 3 shows a View of the same head, seen from below. Fig. 4 shows the blank from which the frame A of Fig. 1 is formed. Fig. 5 shows a detail of the screwactuator. Fig. 6 shows a detail of the screw or bolt. Fig. 7 shows in elevation and partly in section an alternate form of tripod-head to which the same means and arrangement of parts for actuating the screw are applied.

In using a tripod it is often desirable to place the legs of the tripod quite close together, and when in this position the binding-screw as employed in the ordinary form of tripod-head is almost inaccessible and is consequently very inconvenient, and in the smaller sizes of tripods it is desirable to attach the legs quite near the center of the tripod-head. This also causes inconvenience in the use of the binding-screw as usually employed.v It may also be desired to entirely occupy the under side of a tripod-head with the legs, in which case the ordinary form of binding-screw as applied to tripod-heads cannot be used. In order to overcome these difiiculties, I employ the device herein described.

supporting the camera from contact with it.

The blank shown in Fig. 4 is in the main circular, with three extending arms a which when bent upward and inward constitute the support on which the camera-box rests and also serve to retain the screw-actuator in its proper position. The ends of the arms a are notched at a to receive and retain cushionbands D. The portions of the blank between adjacent arms a when bent downward and inward at the dotted lines shown in Fig. 4. form the reentering angles shown in Fig. 1, the vertical sides of which form seats a for engagement with the tripod-legs. Keyholeshaped perforations a in these seats are provided to receive and retain studs attached to the leg-pieces, or the leg-pieces may be hinged between parallel seats a by a pin passing through the perforations a These perforations are preferably punched in the blank before it is bent to the form shown in Fig. 1. The oblong perforations a and the circular perforations a are also made before the blank is bent to the form shown in Fig. 1. Before bending the blank a screw 0, with a head 0 is placed through the perforation a The seats a are then bentto a vertical position,as shown in Fig. l. The act of bending them in this way throws the corners a inward beneath the head of the screw 0, as shown in Fig. 3, and securely retains it in position, while yet free to revolve upon its shank c in the perforation a. An actuating-disk 13, having a knurled flange U is provided with an oblong perforation b which engages and by virtue of its irregular shape is held from rotation on a slabbed part c of the screw 0. The flanged portion of the actuating-disk B rests on the frame A in the angles formed by the bending up of the arms a After the actuating-disk B is placed in position the ends of the arms a carrying the cushion-bands D are bent down inward and retain the disk on the screw in proper position. The disk may be turned by the fingers between the now upright arms thus turning the screw O,which has a threaded part c projecting above the uprights a for engagement with the camera or object to be attached. The head of the screw may be of smaller size than shown in the drawings, so

as to pass freely into position after the frame A is bent to shape, and may be held in position by attachment to the actuator 13 in any approved way, making them practically one piece. I

In the alternate form shown in Fig. 7 the tripod-head is dififerently constructed, being aball-and-socket-jointed tripod-head. It consists of a ball-piece E, to which the legs may be attached, a socket-piece A, having a cylindrical part extending vertically from a bearing-ring a d, that forms the socket part for the ball E, and having large openings through the cylindrical part, so that it is practically a framework having the uprights a b supporting the disk-top which supports the camera on the annular ring a c. The flanged actuating-disk B is located within the socket and has its flanged part situated close to the uprights ct b of the socket, so that it may be readily turned With the fingers through the openings in the socket before described. The flange of the actuating-disk rests upon the ball E. The binding-screw G is provided with a large head, which bears upon the inside of the ball-piece and covers the opening in the ball-piece through which the body of the screw passes. This opening is of sufficient size to allow the socket, screw, and actuating-disk to swing in unison through a considerable are over the surface of the ball. The shank of the screw is slabbed, as in the previously-described form, to retain the actuating-disk from rotating upon it. The binding-screw finally passes upward through a circular opening in the socket and is provided with a threaded part projecting above it for engagement with the camera. In the drawingsa pin passing through the screw is shown as holding the parts together, but any suitable means may be used.

To operate either of these forms of tripodhead, it is only necessary to turn the actuating-disk with the fingers through the openings in the framework, when the camera may be readily attached or adjusted.

What I claim is- 1. In a tripod-head, the combination of a base-piece provided with means for attaching the tripod-legs thereto, a binding-screw passing through said base-piece, an actuating disk located on and revoluble with said screw, and uprights for supporting the camera bearin g upon said base-piece and extending above, and arranged at intervals surrounding and in proximity to, said actuating-disk, substan= tially as described.

v 2. In a tripod-head, the combination of a framework for supporting a camera or other object; means provided for supporting said framework on tripod-legs; a binding-screw for engaging the camera, located within, and having a threaded part extending above said framework; an actuating-disk provided with a finger-grip periphery, located on and revoluble with said binding-screw and within said framework, and extending out to, and acces-, sible for operation through, openings in said framework; and means for retaining the elements together, substantially as described.

3. In a tripod-head, in combination with a binding-screw, a single piece of sheet metal approximately circular in outline with three projecting arms and a central perforation, bent to a form having three rentering angles with vertical sides for the attachment thereto of tripod-legs and having the said three arms bent upward to form a support for the camera, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES J. W. HAYES.

Witnesses:

MARION A. REEVE, MAY E. Ko'r'r. 

